Finding One's Place
by MickeytheMouse
Summary: As a young demon slayer you are taught many things, most importantly that a demon is not to be triffled with. They are beasts that would sooner rip out your heart then give you another breath. Perhaps that was why Sango's breath stilled when she met him.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own the _InuYasha_ characters or the world as created by the lovely genius of Rumiko Takahashi.

A/N: Originally posted to livejournal on 1-1-2008 for the challenge community, iyflashfic.

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The last drips of water fell from the sky as the clouds slowly started breaking and dew accumulated in droplets along the woman's nose. Beside her was the monk, his hair wet from the shower as he smiled somewhat genuinely down upon her. His left hand held the looped handle of Kagome's pink umbrella, which he had shrouded over her own body instead of his own. She was rather indifferent to the action, having yelled several times upon the storm's beginning that he should barricade himself from the storm and not worry about her. This suggestion was, of course, only given after he had first handed the object to her with a wary grin, grabbing her middle and whispering that Kagome had only provided one of the umbrella-things. He had insisted that it would seem such a waste for it not to be shared. His lechery held no bounds and so, irately, she had tossed the small item back to him, never minding to be gentle. Unfortunately, he had caught it with little struggle and so the woman merely turned in pout as the rain began to pour.

Closing her eyes, she could count every wet droplet as it passed from her hair to her face, down the bridge of her nose, but at the sudden halt in wetness, Sango peered out from one eye at Miroku. "You'll be soaked," she warned chidingly. He just grinned and pushed the casing more carefully over her head. "Fine. Do what you like, but if you dare thrust that hand of yours any closer I'll cut it off."

Miroku stumbled a bit to regain his balance as his hand shot back, taut and saturated with water against his side once more. The fingers of his bound hand twitched at the loss and sheepishly he apologized, blaming his actions on his family's _curse_. Curse indeed!

So, by now the rain had stopped and Kilala shook the loose water droplets from her fur as both InuYasha and Kagome emerged from their resting place by the tree. Having given up her only umbrella, Kagome had annoyed the spirited hanyou into relinquishing his robe of the fire-rat upon her back and head. InuYasha had, like Miroku, endured the rain fully.

Not long after uncovering herself from the cloth and sheepishly handing InuYasha back the wet thing, to which he responded in a tight and roughened, 'keep it,' Kagome's senses had begun tingling again in remembrance of the jewel shards they were chasing nearby.

"InuYasha, I really have nowhere to keep your robe while we travel." Fingering the tightly-bound wool, Kagome attempted to wring out some of the water unsuccessfully before holding out the robe to the half-demon in embarrassment.

"I said keep it!" InuYasha's voice edged on the barrier between annoyance and care.

"I will not! Do you want me to catch a cold?" Kagome's yelling began to spill out at full force as did the argument between the two.

Sango, all the while, smiled wryly at the two. Watching them argue could only be entertaining for so long until she, like the young fox youkai, became quite irate with the whole situation. Stroking her own youkai companion softly, as the cat mewed and purred against her, Sango exchanged glances with both demons in understanding. Having Kagome again engage in a petty argument with the half-demon InuYasha was both a depressing and encouraging engagement. Such arguments could only mean that the two were once again expressing their growing friendship-- however odd it may be. It was also an expression of how the group was growing ever-nearer to finding and defeating Naraku. Still, the buzz that rang in her mind from the banter was not what the young woman needed at the moment-- her heart and mind were already burdened with her own task and convulsions. Every moment their argument delayed them, the more agitated she became.

"Ah!" She hissed as Kilala halted her master's petting with a harsh bite upon the wrist. Apparently, the strokes had become equally as agitated as their caster.

The cat demon gazed harshly upon Sango one moment and then rubbed her small face against the palm of her hand, coaxing yet another pet from her before the cat leapt from her lap to wander off towards Kagome. Truly, Sango did have an understanding of demons, but at times they baffled even her. Scoffing at the pinch of jealousy within her stomach, as the cat was picked up easily by the young girl Kagome, Sango relaxed again in her sleeping bag. She turned her back to them in a huff and zipped the sides up to her waist.

No doubt the argument between Kagome and InuYasha would continue throughout the night; no amount of affection of either side would hinder the prolonging of their stubbornness. Kagome, although more mature in her dealings with the dog, still refused to see the demon's side. InuYasha was possessive and rightfully so. Sadly Kagome, being the human she was, did not see the bond that had formed even before she had joined their group. It was not unlike the bond between her own guardian and herself. Sango understood InuYasha's anger at being rejected, yet she understood Kagome's confusion. The qualms of demons were not the concerns of humans and the concerns of humans seemed to never intercept with that of demons. Rarely, however, the lines would cross.

"Damn woman. Kagome-- don't you dare just leave me here!" InuYasha sputtered, attempting to lift himself from the ground. Sango's ears could have twitched at the sounds and rustling of foliage as the half-demon sped past to catch up with the miko-- had she been a demon. Hearing: it was one of the many talents that demons possessed that Sango, as a demon-slayer, both longed for and was both a constant rival against. As a young child, Sango could remember hiding amongst the brush with her father and other kin, whispering among each other and shushing each other to quiet down. As a child, her eyes were wide and full with attention. It was her first trip out with the others on an actual 'mission,' as she delightfully called them then. She had not known the dangers and horrors of demon encounters enough to label them otherwise.

"Sango, do you believe those two will ever change?" Shippou's voice broke the woman out of her thoughtful transit and back into reality for a brief moment. He was one of the few that did in fact see InuYasha's attraction and growing feelings for the human girl, but he was not exactly the best ear to listen to 'romance talks,' still being a child in her eyes despite his demon age. Thus, Sango shook her head dismissively, convincing the fox that she needed sleep, apparently quite successfully as she felt his presence leave her side and seek that of Kagome amost immediately. Perhaps it was best he sought her company in answer to such questions. Kagome would give her biased answer that the kit would likely approve. It would be doubtful Sango's hesitant siding with the hanyou would roll over well. It was true that, compared to humans, Shippou was an elder, but demons matured so slowly that he was still a child to both the eye and ear. Sango knew he would not understand her reasonings, even being a demon himself and Miroku.. he was not even a consideration-- being such a lecher. He had his own charms and skills, Sango would admit, but holding a serious conversation of this matter was him not one of those skills.

Finally, the group settled down for the night and Kagome, having settled down into sleep, spurred InuYasha to take his watch away from the camp fire and take roost upon a tree branch-- allowing his ears to twitch and roam to their own content. For hours the night was silent. Occasionally, the demon slayer would awake to the sound of Kilala rustling or to InuYasha returning to the group to do a look over for what Sango was sure he viewed as his pack-making sure everything was in order. Sango, feigning sleep, would recognize his particular gaze upon her and know, simply from instinct and learned knowledge, that he knew she was awake. Still it would not faze him and he would return to his previous guarding perch.

Sango remembered with a slight smile, as she drifted in and out of sleep, how she had complained about the heavy armor as well as the harsh look her father had given her back in those days. Her brother, Kohaku, had not yet been born, but her mother was fully in labor as they defended the village. That particular outing was her first chance to prove herself. It was known, even to her, that her father had desired a son as his first born. All through her training, especially as the daughter to the clan leader, Sango's training was heavily watched, heavily disciplined and heavily critiqued. It seemed no matter what she would do, having the shadow of expectation upon her back, Sango was still prone and bent towards failure. Her swings were not precise enough. Snap. Her defense was not quick enough. Crack. Her positioning left her too open to attack. Sting.

Sango had learned to force back the tears each time she was struck by a weapon she could not block and each time she made a sound not quite silent enough. As if it was not insult enough that she had been beaten so, she had failed in combat against her own father, blindfolded no less. Still, Sango's father was as much of a teacher as he was also a patient and kind man. He _did_ enact upon his fatherly tendencies every now and then.

_"There, there." He had wiped the stray tears from her eyes, she recalled. "I don't expect my girl to be perfect, but you must keep practicing. Being noisy, as you were now, will surely get you killed."_

"Why Father?" She had asked, biting back the tears. Father. It was only upon these rare occasions that she was permissed to use such informalities.

"A demon," instantly his tone shone in the scholarly knowledge and experience that she had grown to admire so greatly, "is known for its hearing. Why, right next to its nose, its sense of hearing is the most keen. The slightest crumple of a leaf can be heard from acres away. When visibility is in your favor you must still remember that a demon's ears can quickly becomes its eyes, and its eyes its ears." Sango's own eyes widened with interest. "A single breath can give away your position."

A tiny lump of fur scurried onto Sango's side and attempted to bury itself inside Sango's curled position, if only to awake her. The little fox first attempted light prodding upon her arm with his paws, yet quickly seeing another plan was in order he cried out next to her ear..

"Sango! Sango! You need to get up."

Later the demon slayer would claim instinct and impulse for the action of her palm slapping the kit from her in a brash motion, but neither reason-- if true--was regretted.

"What is it Shippou?" Sango asked with concern through the fog of sleep that still covered her. She could see the alertness of the kit's eyes and pried herself from sleep in alarm. Reaching to her right, Sango grabbed hold of her Hiraikotsu.

"Naraku," he said simply and somewhat sadly. "InuYasha senses him nearby. He's waking everyone up."

"Well it seems none of us will be receiving sleep tonight," she whispered lightly, panning her head around the campsite which had already dimmed in brightness from the loss of campfire. "Which way did he head?" Kagome was already gone, no doubt riding along the half-demon's back as he raced towards some unknown 'demon hunch' the hanyou had. Other than Sango, only Shippou, Miroku and Kilala, fully transformed due to the tension, remained.

Miroku was first to answer, mostly with his hands rather than words, but Sango knew the group had little time to waste. Quickly she ushered the monk to catch up to InuYasha, somehow convincing him that she and Shippou would catch up later and that he would be more useful as an ally than he would an escort. Surprisingly, he had agreed and left on the back of Kilala to catch up with the others. Why Sango had not considered her own source of transportation however, she did not know-- it was too late anyways; they were gone.

"Sango, how are we going to catch up with the others? I do not think I could manage to carry you, at least not for another hour--"

"It's fine Shippou, I can travel by foot." Readjusting her weapon, Sango nudged the small youkai onto her shoulder. "I know I'm not Kagome, but at least it will allow you to relax a bit longer." The fox mumbled a small thanks as the woman cast her eyes for the skyline over the woods, the direction she had seen Kilala escape to. "Hold on."

The slayer's travel was erratic, filled with the hype and anxiety of losing herself within the woods, but Shippou did not wake after he relaxed into unawareness of the world around him-- Sango had managed to keep her footing light.

As Sango stepped she could hear around her, a rustling that was not her own. Kagome would have merely thought it an animal in the forest, but then she would have also suspected Miroku or InuYasha to come sneak on her every time whilst she was bathing. Kagome could be quite a fickle girl sometimes. Never had Sango heard of a girl with such disquiet over such a silly matter. Of course, to show one's bare body was not in the highest respects, but to make such a fuss... the girl created more problems than there was even the likelihood they would start.

The sound appeared again, this time followed by an almost incoherent babble-- small, squeaky, somehow familiar. Either the sound was coming from too far away or it was speaking too softly to be heard. Then, a voice and Sango's movements stilled. She shivered involuntarily, waking the young fox, before taking a defensive position as she saw them pass. Sango was surprised they did not face her, almost as if she had not yet been sensed, but it was exactly her human smell that should give her away; the wind was pulling her straight towards them.

"Milord? It appears the crafty demon Naraku has escaped once again. How long will it be until you locate him once more?" Jaken chattered on quite incessantly until he spied the look upon his master's face. The face did not resemble its normal phlegmatic posture and his eyes blazed with unseen tortures upon the small demon. Fearfully, Jaken cast himself at his master's feet, however, no matter how humbly and lowly he prostrated himself, Jaken's words were not eliminated. With one quick shove, the tall demon flung his servant from his foot in a sudden kick.

The jolt reacted hard upon the impish demon, yet his devotion would not be deterred. "My apologizes Master. Forgive this impudent--"

"That is enough, Jaken." Sesshoumaru curtly cut the small demon's words out from under him. "We are leaving now."

"Y-yes, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Both Sango's and Shippou's eyes widened at the recognition of the name. She had felt the inane pull of recognition that it was in fact him, even before that moment, but she had somehow convinced herself to deny what instinct told her. Still, even as a talented demon slayer, when the youkai Lord turned and she was allowed an unintentional opportunity to witness an amended view of him, she lost all remembrance of her training in that one moment. With a deep gasp and intake of air, the eyes of Sesshoumaru landed instantly and coldly in her direction. "'_A single breath can give you away.'"_

_"Father, must I always wear this heavy armor-- I can hardly move in it?"_

_"You'll wear it or risk your own death."_

_"But why can't I come with you on the hunt?" Young Sango was pleading desperately now. After hiding for hours with the other slayers of the clan, she had once again been told to stand aside. She had been so close to proving herself, yet she was still the same distance away. _

_"You know why, now wait here until I return. Don't wander off and stay out of trouble!" With that her father disappeared and Sango was left alone in the woods with only her few practice weapons to amuse her. As the time wore on, the need for amusement thickened. Blades of grass in the spot below her crouched form were already growing sparse as she plucked them in shameless abandon. Then, a rustle and Sango grabbed her weapon only to animatedly thrash it out before her as she watched a simple deer run from its previous grazing spot. The young girl laughed to herself in amusement and continued to swing her weapon about her in joyous practice. _

_"Take that, demon!" she would cry to no one but herself, acting out the role of a slayer her father would be proud of-- even if her form was less than he would desire. She smiled smugly to herself, amusement catching up to her as her true defenses lessened. Turning around sharply, she met a nearby tree with excitement. She made a slash for its trunk and then another, barreling off bark and scattering the birds from their roosts. Finishing her task, she straightened herself beside the tree, believing herself her adversary's match. "I'd like to see that demon try and get past me."_

_"Are you quite through, human? Your disarray has ruined my hunt." _

_Young Sango, previously having marveled at her self-proclaimed skills, stuttered nervously and lifted up her weapon in awkward defense. "Come-come no closer, demon, else I shall have to slay you!" Her nimble fingers fought hard to not drop her weapon and her footing threatened to back up fearfully against the very tree she had previously been_ _attacking. The demon scoffed at her actions and then turned to leave._

_"Where are you going? Will you not eat me?" Sango was baffled at the demon's sudden disinterest in her. The way the villagers had spoken since she was born, this demon should have attacked her merely for being human. Men and women alike were always spinning stories of how demons would come upon a human village and attack it for no reason. The demon did not answer and continued walking. "Hey!" She cried ran after him._

_"Do you truly wish to be devoured, human?" the demon asked blandly, not giving Sango a glance back as he paused. The girl shook her head, relaying to the demon before her that to be eaten was the least of her desires._

_With curiosity, Sango began examining the proud, beautiful demon before her. Inquisitively, she took in his rough armor--not unlike the bones the slayers would use for their weapons, then to his tightly wound face--accented by the strangest of marks, and finally to the sword by his side. "Ah! I have a weapon too! My father gave me mine-- what about yours?"_

_The demon glanced over at Sango briefly with a bored gaze in his eyes in response to her question, finding no reason to answer. The child huffed at his lack of response as the two departed. She may have thought he was beautiful, but he sure was arrogant.  
_  
_Night fell and Sango's thoughts still filled with the images of her mystery demon. Even through the night she could hear the clan out searching for a demon-- the same one they were after earlier. She hoped it was not him, or if it was that he would not be found as she settled into sleep._

_"Good morning, Sango," the villagers all greeted her the next morning as she panned her way through the slayer's village on her way to the edge of the woods. She nodded quickly in acknowledgment, but in tightening the strap of her weapon across her shoulder, ran to the very spot she sensed him. This time she did not feign the ability to sneak up upon her prey and he did not hinder her tracking. Knowing the girl would foolishly come looking for him, he waited in boredom for it to pass._

_When she greeted him she saw that he simply lay up against a side of a tree. His legs were lax and a lone arm stretched across them. Giddily she walked up to him, quickly at first, but upon seeing his lack of response, more carefully. _

_"Demon?" she questioned apprehensively. With no response, Sango dared to walk closer. Crouching down, she faced him fully, but did not touch him. She knew that doing so would cross the line. Still, she admitted that holding her fingers back from grasping and physically investigating his pointed ears was difficult, but she restrained with the help of a rude awakening to her brazen move._

_"Human." His voice was taunt with warning as he growled out at her, but witnessing the view of his fangs and his golden eyes only spurred on her curiosity further. She had, after all, never actually met a demon before._

_"Demon? Where are your horns?" Sango's eyes cast to his head, vacant of anything but silver hair. _

_"You speak nonsense." His monotone dismissal of her failed, however, and the girl continued to investigate him with her eyes. _

_"The others always tell me of the demons they fought and they almost always have horns, red eyes and a lust to kill. You're different," she noted happily. "Why?"_

_"This Sesshoumaru is not a low-class demon." Huffing with a sigh and seeing the child would not deter, he moved to stand, hoping the child would get the subtle hint and leave. She did not._

_"Oh!" Sango's eyes brightened. "So there is a caste system even among demons?" Sesshoumaru did not answer as he began his slow pursuit away from her, but Sango ran after him, this time with a light touch to his silk hakama. Aggravation and the gritting of teeth quickly turned to anger the moment her fingers lightly grazed him, even in accidental touch. _

_Growling under his breath, Sesshoumaru cast his claws at the girl and instantly pinned her against the nearest tree. He allowed a few moments for the girl's blood to escape her head and slight suffocation to set in before he released her with a hiss. "Know your place, human." It was a harsh warning, but Sango recognized that it was not all with malice-- she was still alive, after all. _

_The next day it stormed terribly, hindering any attempts on Sango's part to see if the strange demon, was still present within the woods. Her clan was planning to go out on another hunt once the rain slacked and their human scents would not be so easily captured and sensed. For now the task was the sharpening and cleaning of weapons. Sango only halfheartily joined in. It was true that this was the first demon she had actually met, but he was nothing like the tales she had heard. Perhaps demons, like humans, were all different. Sango had already formed a childish fondness for him despite his rough nature, but the chance of affection on his part was far off. Still, perhaps she could trust him. _

_Of course, later Sango would recall how the clan was attacked and how her eyes brightened when she saw Sesshoumaru off in the distance, before they dulled as he walked on without a care. Still, he had not done so before being spotted. To the child's horror, she witnessed Sesshoumaru bring down many of the male clan members that had blocked his path. In anguish she had run after them and run to face him, tears pouring down her cheek. A single arm stopped her, however, the hand of a woman that screamed for her not to step closer, warning that he was a demon. At first Sango shook the woman off, but it was the hand of her father that finally led her away in dread. He was a demon. Demons killed. With her head down-cast she had decided they could be no different._

Even now, as Sango remained rooted in place with Shippou by her side, she remembered her last encounter as tears, not her own, poured down her face-- the tears of a child. Sango suddenly tried with great difficulty to match Sesshoumaru's own glare upon her as Shippou tugged and pulled on her arms and hair to hide in the bushes with him-- this of course adding nothing to her brave farce. With a scoff the youkai turned his head once more and in a single fluent motion was off, nowhere to be found even as Sango raced in the same northern direction. The clouds thundered and the rain poured once more.

"Come, Shippou, let's find the others. They shall be needing our help."

"Even mine?" Shippou asked apprehensively. Sango knew Shippou also was a demon, so perhaps in a way all demons _were_ different, but still Sango did not doubt that under different situations, Shippou could have easily become a killer same as Sesshoumaru. Fate had allowed him a different course and for that she was glad, even as her heart still ached.

She had found her place. She only hoped that Sesshoumaru was happy with his.


End file.
